Vault-light.



C. B. JACOBS.

VAULT LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2I. I911.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (10., WASHINGTON, D. c.

uNira a sra'ras PA ENT curios.

.CHARLESWB. JACOBS, or PORT CHESTER, NEW YoRK, AssIGNOR To AIViERiGANABRASiVE METALS COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK.

, 6. VAULT-LIGHT.

insaooa.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. JacoBs, a citizen of the United States, and a resldent of Port Chester, l/Vestchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Lights, of which the following is a specification.

The'invention relates to vaultlights, and is particularly applicable 'to,vault covers, pavements, and similar structures made of plastic material, as concrete, in which are embedded transparent elements, as glass lenses, for-conveying light-to the spaces beneath thestructures.

Objects of the invention are to providea construction of 'vaultlight which shall be self-compensating for the differences of ex-- pansion and contraction between the lens] and the structure in which it is set; which shall be watertight and adapted to shed water; which shall bepr'otected againstdam' age by pedestrians and by the impact of heavy objects 5 which shall present an anti' slipping surface to pedestrians; and which shall be simple, durable, and economical inconstruction. j

' .These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part be more fully explained in the following description;

- Theinvention consists in the novel improvements, parts, combinations, and fea-' tures of construction hereln shownand described,

In the accompanying drawings, which are referred to herein and form part hereof, are

illustrated two embodiments of the invention, the same serving in connection with the description herein to explain the principles of theinvention.

' Of thedrawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a vaultlight constructed in accordance with certain features of the invention and fixed inabed' of plastic'material, as concrete; Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the vaultlight shown in Fig. 1; and Fig.

3 is averticalcentral section of a modification. Referring now detail to the drawings, there is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 one embodiment of the invention, thesame con-'- sistingof a glass light or lens l-embedded in a structure 2 which is a section of a vault cover or pavement constructed of plastic material, as concrete, andwhich may be reinfo'rced in any usual or improved manner.

.While said light-may be constructed of product and the product itself and various shapes and be fixed in the concrete in divers ways, a'sshown, it is cylindrical in form, and of av suitable size, 1ts periphery and suitably spaced apart flanges 4 which engage with the concrete and secure the light firmly-in place, the position of the light in the concrete preferably belng such'that the top of the glass will be flush with the surface oftheconcrete.

An important feature of the invention re sldes in the provision of means for protecting the light from injury due to heavy ob ects, as 1 articles of merchandise, 1 being thrown upon the same orfrom the wear caused by pedestrians.- As the invention contemplates, also, vided for preventing slippingby pedestri ans, preferably, therefore, a meansis provided which combines these two functions rendering the surface anti-slipping.

' Whilethis means may be formed-in variousways and of different materials, preferably and as shown, there surrounds the upper part of the glass above the uppermost flange a ring'6 of suitablehard having embedded in the exposed surface thereof a layer 7901? granular elements ofa substance harder than the material in which they are embedded. Preferably, the'base of the ring or tread'member should be composed of material suitablefor casting, and cast iron, which has substantially the same coefficient of expansion as concrete, is preferably used The elements of the surface layer, also, should be of such nature,as artificial corundum, known as alundum, that they can be embedded in the iron duringthe casting. process. In Letters Patent No. 954,966, dated April 12, 1910, is described the process of casting'such an anti-slipping thisde. scriptionbeing referred to here need not be repeated. It may be said generally, how ever, that the particles of alundum are em bedded in the surface of the cast iron in such manner and quantity that they-forman exslipping surface and protect th iron base from wear or lnjury.

that'means shall be pro- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented G t; 19:15;

Application filed March 21, 1911. SerialNo. 616,043.

having aboutv 1 so 7 materials 7 V In order-better to protect the light 1 withthe ring 6, the ring and light are made of suitable relative proportions so that the shock-ofany impacting body will be 'borne' substantially by the ring, and in further ance of this object the ring, preferably and as shown, rises slightly above the common plane of the light and the concrete. While the member 6 18 illustrated and referred to herein as a ring, it is to be understood that this member will conform substantially to the shape of the lens whether that be round or of other form.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, provision is made for disposing of any water that may collect within the ring 6, which water, if allowed to remain, would prove a possible source of injury as heretofore explained. Preferably and as shown, therefore, sluices 9 are formed in the exposed upper portion of the ring at suitable intervals, the beds of the sluices being preferably in the plane of the surfaces of the glass and the concrete. Further protection against the water working through the joints between the lens and the ring and the ring and the concrete is afforded by the compensating means now to be described.

In accordance with another and important feature of the invention, means are provided for compensating for any differences in expansion of the lens 1 and the concrete 2, due to changes of temperature. This comprises a layer 10 of suitable resilient material located between the upper part of the lens and the tread ring. The material should be yielding to permit of the difi'erence in expansion between the glass and the metal of the ring without developing undue pressure upon the glass, and it should be resilient so that when the surfaces separate due to differences of expansion and contraction of the two materials no crack or opening will be formed through which water may pass. It will also be unaffected by water or weather conditions so that it will remain intact and retain its properties. The material which has been found best to fulfil these conditions is a mineral wax. As the cast iron has substantially the same coeflicient of expansion as the concrete, as heretofore referred to, the resilient material is not for this reason necessary between the cast iron tread member and the concrete but it is preferably placed there to facilitatethe removal of the ring and render the joints between it and the concrete water proof.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings is illustrated another embodiment of the invention, similar in many respects to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 but having added features which will now be described. The purpose of the construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is to facilitate the removal of the lens and tread ring, one or both, so that parts may be substituted therefor.

. Preferably and as shown, the lower periphery of the lens 1 is tapered downwardly .or inwardly, and is formed at its upper portion with a flange 11. Surrounding the lens 1 is a ring fi as shown, coextensive in depth with the said flange 11 and, preferably, having its outer side slightly tapering downwardly and inwardly. Said ring 6 is substantially like the ring 6 heretofore described and performs the same office but it rests upon an anchor ring 12 embedded in the concrete 2 and preferably extending entirely around the lens 1. Said anchor is made of suitable material, as metal, and, preferably, has a shoulder 13 extending beneath the flange 11 and another shoulder 14: upon its opposite side extending into the concrete beyond the ring 6 The ring 6 is secured to the anchor 12, preferably by a plurality of screws 15. Preferably and as shown, also, the upper ends of the material forming the perforations are countersunk to receive the heads of the screws below the level of the resistant layer 7, the said heads being thus protected from wear by said resistant layer. A layer of mineral wax 10 is placed between the rings and the lens and also surrounds the ring 6 as shown, and such a layer may be extended over the concrete and all the adjacent surfaces of the device, if desired.

It will be seen that the invention provides a vaultlight which accomplishes the objects of the invention, as heretofore enumerated, and possesses other advantages which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

' The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the precise constructions shown and described nor to any particular construction by which the same has been or may be carried into effect, as many changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from the main principles of the inv n i n 01 sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim;

1. A vaultlight including in combination. a lens having a main body portion downwardly tapering and a flange projecting outwardly from the upper part to form a shoulder, a tread ring surrounding the flange, an anchor ring surrounding the body portion beneath the shoulder, and means for detachably securing the tread ring in the anchor ring.

2. A vaultlight including in combination a lens having a main body portion downwardly tapering and a flange projecting outwardly from the upper part to form a shoulder, atread ring surrounding the flange and comprising a basic of cast iron, and a layer of granular hard mineral elements embedded in its upper surface, an anchor ring surrounding the body portion beneath the shoulder and means for detachably securing the tread ring in the anchor ring.

8. A vaultlight including in combination, a lens having a main body portion downwardly tapering and a portion above and projecting outwardly from said firstnamed portion so as to form a shoulder, said shoul der tapering upwardly, a tread ring surrounding the upper portion of said lens and projecting slightly above the same and comprising a base of cast'iron and a layer of granular corundum embedded in the upper surface of said base and partly exposed to prevent slipping and protect the cast iron from abrasion, an anchor surrounding the lens beneath said shoulder and tread and pro ecting outwardly beyond said tread ring, means for detachably securing said tread ring to said anchor, a layer of resilient waterproof material interposed between the rings and the lens, and said tread ring hav ing formed in its upper portion a plurality of sluices to drain Water from thesurface of the lens. 7 a

4. A vaultlight including in combination, a lens having a main body portion downwardlytaperingand a flange projecting out- Wardly from the upper part to form a shoulder, a tread ring surrounding the flange and an anchor ring surrounding the body portion and 1 extending inwardly beneath tread ring. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my said shoulder and outwardly beyond said name to this specificatiomin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

WM. J. DOLAN, R. R. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

CHARLES B. JACOBS. 

